Lords，squires，andcockneysmaypassaway，butatimewillscarcelycomewhenChildeHaroldandthatodewillbeforgotten。
Hewasapoet，afterall，andhemusthaveknownit；arealpoet，equalto-to-whatadestiny!Rank，beauty，fashion，immortality，-hecouldnotbeunhappy；whatadifferenceinthefateofmen-IwishIcouldthinkhewasunhappy……
Iturnedaway。
’Greatpoet，sir，’saidthedapperman，turningawaytoo，’butunhappy-fateofgenius，sir；I，too，amfrequentlyunhappy。’
Hurryingdownastreettotheright，IencounteredFrancisArdry。
’Whatmeansthemultitudeyonder？’hedemanded。
’TheyarelookingafterthehearsewhichiscarryingtheremainsofByronupTottenhamRoad。’
’Ihaveseentheman，’saidmyfriend，asheturnedbackthewayhehadcome，’soIcandispensewithseeingthehearse-IsawthelivingmanatVenice-ah，agreatpoet。’
’Yes，’saidI，’agreatpoet，itmustbeso，everybodysaysso-
whatadestiny!Whatadifferenceinthefateofmen；but’tissaidhewasunhappy；youhaveseenhim，howdidhelook？’
’Oh，beautiful!’
’Butdidhelookhappy？’
’Why，Ican’tsayhelookedveryunhappy；Isawhimwithtwo……
veryfairladies；butwhatisittoyouwhetherthemanwasunhappyornot？Come，whereshallwego-toJoey’s？Hishugestbear-’
’Oh，Ihavehadenoughofbears，Ihavejustbeenworriedbyone。’
’Thepublisher？’
’Yes。’
’ThencometoJoey’s，threedogsaretobelaunchedathisbear：
astheypinhim，imaginehimtobethepublisher。’
’No，’saidI，’Iamgoodfornothing；IthinkIshallstrolltoLondonBridge。’
’That’stoofarforme-farewell。’
CHAPTERXL
LondonBridge-Whynot？-Everyhearthasitsbitters-Wickedboys-Givememybook-Suchafright-Honourbright。
SOIwenttoLondonBridge，andagaintookmystationonthespotbytheboothwhereIhadstoodontheformeroccasion。Thebooth，however，wasempty；neithertheapple-womannorherstallwastobeseen。Ilookedoverthebalustradeupontheriver；thetidewasnow，asbefore，rollingbeneaththearchwithfrightfulimpetuosity。AsIgazedupontheeddiesofthewhirlpool，I
thoughtwithinmyselfhowsoonhumanlifewouldbecomeextinctthere；aplunge，aconvulsiveflounder，andallwouldbeover。
WhenIlaststoodoverthatabyssIhadfeltakindofimpulse-afascination；Ihadresistedit-Ididnotplungeintoit。AtpresentIfeltakindofimpulsetoplunge；buttheimpulsewasofadifferentkind；itproceededfromaloathingoflife，Ilookedwistfullyattheeddies-whathadItolivefor？-what，indeed!
IthoughtofBrandtandStruensee，andYeomanPatch-shouldI
yieldtotheimpulse-whynot？Myeyeswerefixedontheeddies。
AllofasuddenIshuddered；IthoughtIsawheadsinthepool；
humanbodieswallowingconfusedly；eyesturneduptoheavenwithhopelesshorror；wasthatwateror-？Wherewastheimpulsenow？
Iraisedmyeyesfromthepool，Ilookednomoreuponit-Ilookedforward，fardownthestreaminthefardistance。’Ha!whatisthat？IthoughtIsawakindofFataMorgana，greenmeadows，wavinggroves，arustichome；butinthefardistance-Istared-
Istared-aFataMorgana-itwasgone……“
Ileftthebalustradeandwalkedtothefartherendofthebridge，whereIstoodforsometimecontemplatingthecrowd；Ithenpassedovertotheothersidewithanintentionofreturninghome；justhalf-wayoverthebridge，inaboothimmediatelyoppositetotheoneinwhichIhadformerlybeheldher，satmyfriend，theoldapple-woman，huddledupbehindherstall。
’Well，mother，’saidI，’howareyou？’Theoldwomanliftedherheadwithastartledlook。
’Don’tyouknowme？’saidI。
’Yes，IthinkIdo。Ah，yes，’saidshe，asherfeaturesbeamedwithrecollection，’Iknowyou，dear；youaretheyoungladthatgavemethetanner。Well，child，gotanythingtosell？’
’Nothingatall，’saidI。
’Badluck？’
’Yes，’saidI，’badenough，andillusage。’
’Ah，Isupposetheycaughtye；well，child，nevermind，betterlucknexttime；Iamgladtoseeyou。’
’Thankyou，’saidI，sittingdownonthestonebench；’Ithoughtyouhadleftthebridge-whyhaveyouchangedyourside？’
Theoldwomanshook。
’Whatisthematterwithyou，’saidI；’areyouill？’
’No，child，no；only-’
’Onlywhat？Anybadnewsofyourson？’
’No，child，no；nothingaboutmyson。Onlylow，child-everyhearthasitsbitters。’
’That’strue，’saidI；’well，Idon’twanttoknowyoursorrows；
come，where’sthebook？’
Theapple-womanshookmoreviolentlythanbefore，bentherselfdown，anddrewhercloakmorecloselyaboutherthanbefore。
’Book，child，whatbook？’
’Why，blessedMary，tobesure。’
’Oh，that；Iha’n’tgotit，child-Ihavelostit，haveleftitathome。’
’Lostit，’saidI；’leftitathome-whatdoyoumean？Come，letmehaveit。’
’Iha’n’tgotit，child。’
’Ibelieveyouhavegotitunderyourcloak。’
’Don’ttellanyone，dear；don’t-don’t，’andtheapple-womanburstintotears。
’What’sthematterwithyou？’saidI，staringather。
’Youwanttotakemybookfromme？’
’NotI，Icarenothingaboutit；keepit，ifyoulike，onlytellmewhat’sthematter？’
’Why，allaboutthatbook。’
’Thebook？’
’Yes，theywantedtotakeitfromme。’
’Whodid？’
’Why，somewickedboys。I’lltellyouallaboutit。Eightortendaysago，Isatbehindmystall，readingmybook；allofasuddenI
feltitsnatchedfrommyhand，upIstarted，andseethreerascalsofboysgrinningatme；oneofthemheldthebookinhishand。
“Whatbookisthis？“saidhe，grinningatit。“Whatdoyouwantwithmybook？“saidI，clutchingatitovermystall；“givememybook。““Whatdoyouwantabookfor？“saidhe，holdingitback；“I
haveagoodmindtoflingitintotheThames。““Givememybook，“
Ishrieked；and，snatchingatit，Ifellovermystall，andallmyfruitwasscatteredabout。Offrantheboys-offrantherascalwithmybook。Ohdear，IthoughtIshouldhavedied；upIgot，however，andranafterthemaswellasIcould；Ithoughtofmyfruit，butIthoughtmoreofmybook。Ileftmyfruitandranaftermybook。“Mybook!mybook!“Ishrieked，“murder!theft!
robbery!“Iwasnearbeingcrushedunderthewheelsofacart；butIdidn’tcare-Ifollowedtherascals。“Stopthem!stopthem!“I
rannearlyasfastasthey-theycouldn’trunveryfastonaccountofthecrowd。Atlastsomeonestoppedtherascal，whereuponheturnedround，andflingingthebookatme，itfellintothemud；
well，Ipickeditupandkissedit，allmuddyasitwas。“Hasherobbedyou？“saidtheman。“Robbedme，indeed；whyhehadgotmybook。““Oh，yourbook，“saidtheman，andlaughed，andlettherascalgo。Ah，hemightlaugh，but-’
’Well，goon。’